14 Best Sites to Book Flights
A flight search can be overwhelming with so many factors to consider. You know your destination and the dates, but which airline should you choose? What is a fare class anyway? And how do all these variables affect your ticket price at the end of the transaction?
Unfortunately, there’s no “online price oracle” that has the lowest flight prices consistently. But there are some resources that can help you snag a seat while getting the best bang for your buck. We’ve narrowed the list, providing you with the most popular online options to book a flight for less!
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14 best site booking platforms for 2024
1. Best overall site booking platform: Expedia
Expedia has been around since the 1990s. It is a well-known and well-trusted online travel agency that allows you to book flights, hotel accommodations, and much more. The prices here are not necessarily better than if you were to book directly with the airline, but they offer a rewards program and allow you to book all your travel needs in one spot, saving you time to do other things.
Pros: Book flights, cruises, hotels, rental cars, activities, and tours for your trip all in one place; earn reward points for booking with this online travel agency
Cons: Limited ability to get upgrades for flights booked through Expedia
2. Best site to book last-minute flights: Lastminute
Lastminute is an online travel agency that has been in business since the late 1990s. They offer several last-minute (get it?) travel options to flight seekers and offer more than just flights. In addition, their vacation bundle deals often have almost unbelievable prices for those that have a flexible schedule.
Pros: No change fees, payment plans available, low-deposit vacation packages
Cons: Travel options can be inconvenient when booking last-minute
3. Best site to book flights and accommodations all in one: CheapTickets.com
CheapTickets, as part of the Expedia family, offers not just flights but also allows users to book hotels. The site has been around for quite some time and has earned the trust of many with options for cheap flights, nearby vacation suggestions, and last-minute trip deals! They even offer cruise deals too.
Pros: User-friendly website, wide variety of choices, quick customer service, flexible payment system
Cons: Not as robust as Expedia, not as time-sensitive as Lastminute
4. Best multilingual site to book flights: Agoda
Agoda falls within the Booking.com family. It is a simple website, easy to use, and gives a limited number of filter options when looking for flights. But it has the option for you to select your language in the top menu bar. So with over 30 language options, you and your 90-day fiancé from another country can finally find a way to book a trip together.
Pros: User-friendly interface, multilingual options, has the backing of Booking.com’s strong brand
Cons: Filter options for flights are limited
5. Best site to book flights on a subscription basis: Dollar Flight Club
To set the record straight: the flights aren’t actually $1. Dollar Flight Club offers a subscription at $69/year (with a $1 intro price), so you can get emailed with flight deal alerts up to 90% off original prices. They’ve been around since 2016 and, to date, have millions of avid traveler subscribers.
Pros: Generously discounted flight lists, easy-to-use interface, decent mobile app, different membership plans to choose from; free, premium, and premium plus
Cons: Costs $69/year just for access to flight deals, savings offered aren’t always spectacular
6. Best site for booking flights for those with flexible travel plans: Skyscanner
Skyscanner’s travel search engine allows you to book discounted flights, hotels, and car rentals, all from one place. If your flight dates and destination are flexible (or you just enjoy vagabonding), then you can choose to search “everywhere” for the cheapest destinations on different dates. So keep your calendar open.
Pros: Flexible date and destination searches, multilingual and multi-currency options, ability to sign up for free price alerts
Cons: Features aren’t remarkable and can be found on many different travel sites
7. Best flight booking site for price tracking: Momondo
Momondo is a travel metasearch engine (a travel aggregator). On the homepage, you will find a simple search box where you can input your travel details. The website shows you a visual of the price trends for the flight you are searching for. This can help you choose more affordable dates if your dates are flexible. Momondo also allows you to track prices and will alert you to the best time to purchase a flight to get the best price for your ticket. You can even get hacker fares (different airline flight combos for cheap!) here, though you will be directed to two websites to complete your purchase.
Pros: Convenient price tracker, hacker fares, and “Mix and Match” fares for flexible travelers
Cons: You’ll have to book hacker fares from the different websites offering each leg of the ticket
8. Best site to search for hacker fares: Kayak
Kayak is a great place to start looking for hacker fares. Here you can find the cheapest fares by searching for one-way tickets for each leg of your trip. While you will end up clicking through multiple websites to complete your purchases, it will be well worth it at the end of the day. These are the types of tickets you won’t find when you search on a traditional online travel agency website.
Pros: Hacker fare access, free price alerts
Cons: Less likely to find deals for specific flight needs
9. Best popular booking site with reviews and recommendations: TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is arguably the most popular booking and review site. Many people use it as their go-to website before they book their flights, hotels, and activities for reviews and recommendations on what to choose and what to stay clear of. With traveler reviews and deals on flights/hotels, this is your source of truth when taking a trip abroad.
Pros: Highly trusted online, a plethora of traveler reviews, cheap deals
Cons: No way to authenticate traveler reviews
10. Best aggregate booking site by popularity: Booking.com
Booking.com’s popular site offers flights, accommodations, and even restaurant reservations. They also have an app for the tech-savvy shopper who wants these resources at their fingertips on their smart devices. Here you will find the most affordable services online, as you will avoid some of the fees of a traditional travel agent.
Pros: Time-saving with booking options for everything your trip requires, easy cancellations
Cons: Customer service leaves something to be desired
11. Best booking site app: Hopper
Built as a mobile app, Hopper can save, on average, $50 on domestic flights and $120 on international flights per user. Their app is currently ranked #1 in over 25 countries, meaning the deals are definitely available. Hopper even offers “Flash Deals” for travelers planning a getaway ASAP.
Pros: Options for every budget, flash deals, price freeze options
Cons: Refunds are offered in rewards money that can only be used again on the app
12. Best booking site offering free flight alerts: Scott’s Cheap Flights
If you live to travel, then Scott’s Cheap Flights (rebranded as “Going”) is a great option. Now you can build your trips around the most affordable times to travel to your destinations. Simply choose your departure airports and get notifications when prices drop to over 900 destinations all around the globe. The site also offers timeline estimates, booking links, and flight details. In addition, their “Elite” and “Premium” plans give you even better access to discounted trips.
Pros: Great for flexible travel, price drop notifications, free membership options
Cons: Requires a signing-up, only suitable for flexible travelers
13. Best booking site with a large search radius: Kiwi
With Kiwi, you can fly literally anywhere. This search engine has a vast search radius and often finds cheaper flight options. If you download the app, you can get even more from the provider, like combining tickets from different airlines, choosing multi-city itineraries, etc. Their “Travel Hacks” section is useful and surprisingly funny.
Pros: Travel hacks, hacker fares, multi-city searching
Cons: More useful for research than for flight-finding
14. Best booking site for booking flights, buses, and trains in Europe: Omio
Hey Backpackers! Listen up. Omio is here for your cheap cross-continental travel. Omio allows you to compare multi-mode travel to get you from one destination to the next, so it’s not all about flights. With bus, train, and air options, Omio can help you get from France to Frankfurt easier than ever before.
Pros: Great budget options for backpackers and budget travelers, easy-to-use website
Cons: Limited flexibility for flight searches, little-to-no coverage in some areas
Site booking platforms - common FAQs
What is the best website to find cheap flights?
Some airlines won’t show up on the most popular online travel agency websites, like Expedia. For the most comprehensive search, we recommend using a flight search engine like Skyscanner. Here you can do your research and find the cheapest flights worldwide, and then go on to book these flights directly with the airline or travel agency of your choice.
How do I get the best airfare prices?
Airfare pricing can be very complex. But to find the lowest prices, you have to be flexible with your dates and departure cities. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, but by using sites like Last-minute, you can find crazy deals for travelers with a flexible enough schedule to book!
What is the cheapest day to book a flight?
For domestic flights, you can find the cheapest airfare for travel on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For international travel, check out Wednesdays and Thursdays to get the cheapest flights. Try to always book more than a month in advance, which will also help.